Christmas on the Dutchman
by Untamed Mists
Summary: Christmas is upon the Dutchman, with some of the crew celebrating and some not. Davy is used to not participating...until he gets a surprise.


Greenbeard had taken the night's shift at the wheel as usual. But instead of settling down to sleep with a bottle of rum, the crew were still awake. And for once, there was a buzz of excitement floating around the Flying Dutchman. For it was Christmas Eve.

This date had varying significance to different crewmembers. Some, who had been on board for many years, had pretty much forgotten about this occasion. It was mostly the new ones that still had it in them to feel a celebratory spirit. On some years, this would catch on with more than a few; on others its presence would only be very vague. It largely depended on the events going on at the moment and the mood of the highest in command.

Like most of the long-time crew, Davy was never in the mood for celebrating when it came to these festivities. But similar to some of the newer ones, neither did he forget this day. In his head was a calendar that marked certain events; his surprisingly sharp mind had the ability for cataloguing important dates. It had come from being a captain for so long, even back before the Dutchman. After a particular ship he captained in the past continually had its logbooks and calendars lost, stolen or flooded, he had taken to memorizing quite a lot of information vital to each ship's functioning. Dates, maps, even certain charts had become embedded in his head. When he had been cursed, it served an even more important purpose- calculating when his day to step on land would be. Davy also, of course, relied on logbooks and calendars like most captains, but he also used his memory to double-check his notes and visa versa. For mistakes could be made on both sides, and he found that this method worked quite nicely.

So Christmas on his calendar wasn't marked as an important date. There was no note, but he just knew. It made him slightly melancholy at times, since it had been so many hundreds of years since he had actually been involved in it. But he usually covered up such thoughts, which he considered a weakness, with his usual frontier of cruelty and rage. Davy would often work his crew especially hard on Christmas, and ban any celebratory activities. But there were also years, such as this one, where things went quieter and more peacefully. So Davy remained in his cabin as the night began, playing a new version of his tune on the organ. For his crew, it was the closest thing they got to a Christmas carol. So they were glad to hear any music, even if it be that which they had heard a million times before, because to them it was different on this day.

Down in the crew's quarters, just a few were exchanging gifts. A dagger, a hat, a shark tooth…such was the plunder that was switching hands. Jimmylegs, meanwhile, was already asleep with a brand new whip tucked under his arm.

Davy looked up from his organ, his tentacles pausing. Something called to him from beyond the Dutchman's hull. But it was not yet time. So he continued to play, weaving a slow yet chilling melody, trying not to fall back into his memories of past holidays during his human time…

He listened, and through the Dutchman's wooden walls, infused with trapped souls, he sensed the crew begin to fall asleep at last. Their breathing slowed and steadied, and their cursed bodies started to relax. Davy got up. He walked out on deck, striding towards the side. He felt a presence out among the waves. It signalled him, and he teleported into the water, landing on one of the Kraken's tentacles. This creature, the doom of so many, was just floating before him, a harmless pet. Davy let its vast mind touch his, and allowed the barriers around his own to relax. The Kraken informed him of various ships it had seen during the past weeks where it had been away at sea, none of which were too significant this time. But Davy always made sure to know as much about the marine traffic as he could, in case an opportunity was to present itself. Or an enemy was to be revealed.

It did not speak in words but rather in memories, thoughts, and emotions. Davy sifted through as the Kraken presented them, not finding anything important. He leaned back against a wall of suction cups, feeling the soft water currents slide along his skin. His keen eyes gathered in the tiniest bit of light that the night sky had to offer, even the smaller portion that made its way underwater.

_Christmas again-uh. _Davy spoke mentally to his Kraken.

It raised a tentacle with a decorated Christmas tree that had been on one of the ships they'd sunk recently.

Davy looked amused. _No, I'm not one ta celebrate, as ye should know by now-uh!_

The Kraken now showed him a bundle of holiday decorations from that same ship.

_And ah'll never decorate the Dutchman like that, either! _he retaliated.

The Kraken withdrew the tentacle, and Davy sank deeper into his thoughts. After a few moments, he felt something tap his shoulder carefully. Turning, he saw a smaller tentacle reaching out to him, holding a large oyster. Curious, Davy cracked the oyster with his crab claw and opened it. A white pearl rolled into his grasp. His night vision easily picked up the slight gleams of light coming from its surface. Stunned, Davy gazed at it. He didn't know what to make of this. The Kraken, having no voice, projected its thoughts to him directly instead. Davy was so used to reading his pet's emotional signals that he easily picked out the meaning…_Merry Christmas, Captain Jones. _Then it raised another tentacle, this one grasping a sword. Davy took the hilt. It must have found this in a shipwreck on the bottom.

_ …thank ye, _was all he could answer. This was certainly unusual. But he had to admit, it was a beautiful pearl and a very nice sword. Davy drew the blade, admiring the craftsmanship. He turned the pearl, taking in the glow. Then, tucking it into his pocket, and the sword back in its sheath, Davy gave the signal to go up.

As it lifted him out of the water towards the Dutchman, Davy briefly ran his claw down the massive tentacle before stepping onto the deck and walking briskly to his cabin.


End file.
